Remember Who You Are UPDATED!
by hel1234
Summary: Harry Potter is thrust into a world he doesn't undestand anymore, dark secrets are revealed, painful goodbye's, and ultimate sacrifices are made. Harry dicovers his true identity and becomes lost in a world of lies, betrayal an


Remember who you are  
  
"We are all here today to discuss a very grave matter." Dumbledore said with a long sigh.  
  
"I suppose you have all heard about the Order, have you not?" There was a murmur of consent spreading around the livid circle of wizards.  
  
"The Phoenix can not work against Voldemort, if the Order is broken. I do not yet know why or how this has occurred, but wild assumptions will not help in the slightest. I have been running this over in my head thousands of times and I have come to a conclusion...however outrageous it might be..." Dumbledore buried his face in his hands, and sat down. This time, Sirius stood up and walked towards Dumbledore.  
  
"What could it be Dumbledore?" He said, a look of puzzlement spread wide across his face.  
  
"Surely there is no way of destroying the Order, it is impossible t -" But Dumbledore cut across him.  
  
"It is not impossible to destroy the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius. It never has been. The formula is so complex, so unbelievably hard, that no one thought it ever possible for anyone to destroy it. Though people have been told that the Order of the Phoenix is impossible to brake, I assure you it can be broken, however difficult. You see, it contains deep, deep magic working and creating a barrier. The only way for the barrier to be broken is by the two heirs to unite, and be connected, most likely in blood."  
  
A shiver ran around the circle, every ear was listening, every mouth was slightly open and every pair of eyes was fixed on Dumbledore.  
  
"Years ago, when Lily and James Potter were just married, Lily met a man, a stranger, a stranger who she fell desperately in love with. Little Harry was a result of this, but James believed the baby to be his so Lily was happy to be starting a family with the man she had always loved, and never saw the stranger again...well...that was until the night she met her death. For the man she had had a brief love spell with, was the man who would later murder herself, her husband and her son...Harry."  
  
An unnerving silence filled the chamber. Some people were shaking their heads in disbelief.  
  
"Now, I know this must sound completely mad, but from the information I have gathered, the night when Lily met Voldemort, he had adopted a very convincing disguise. He was gathering information for himself, very important, and highly secured information, but he did not plan to meet Lily Potter that night. I know people say that Voldemort does not understand love, I for one have said it, but that night he must have, for he had no need to be with her. But when he awoke the next morning and realised what he had done, he fled. But he was determined to destroy the evidence, to make sure no one knew of this. And so, when he had collected the information of the Potters Secret, he travelled to their house and killed James. Then searching for Lily, he found her in a room with the baby. He had once loved this woman but she could open up too many secrets about him, but still he should not kill her, he turned his wand on Harry instead, yes, his own son. Lily ran out in front of him, shielding Harry. But Voldemort shouted at her to get out of the way. When she did not move, and pleaded with him, he laughed. She was going to die for her son, how heroic, how quaint! He raised his wand and killed her. Now to Harry, the little child reminded him of himself, but the livid, bright green eyes, looking up at him matched the ones of the woman he had just killed. He raised his wand once more, his son, he was about to kill his baby son, and as you know before he could even feel remorse, the curse had backfired, and he was reduced to nothing."  
  
"Dumbledore! This is madness! How do you know all of this?" Lupin was on his feet, a look of confused anger on his worn face. Sirius was also standing up.  
  
" It cannot be, Dumbledore, there is no evidence." But Dumbledore merely waved his hand at their chairs.  
  
"Sit down, my friends sit down. The reason I have this information is because I found it in a diary, Lily Potter's diary in fact. It told me all about the affair, the stranger and how he mysteriously disappeared. She kept a diary, and when I arrived at the house and it had been destroyed, I found in the rubble this diary. A few pages told me of all the secrets and lies in her past, so I kept it, not wanting anyone to get hurt. But, it is only now that it has meant something to me. However, the diary was not enough to solve the mystery, a little more help was needed from Fawkes, my Phoenix. I had heard the Phoenix of the Orders cries and Fawkes was able to translate them for me, that is how I know all of this. I beg you all not to tell a soul of this, for if it falls in to the wrong hands..." He gave a short shudder. Arabella Figg stood up.  
  
"What about little Harry Potter? Does he know?"  
  
"Surely it would be unwise to tell him, the boy has been through enough -"  
  
"He should know the truth! He cannot live a lie for the rest of his life!"  
  
"But why should Voldemort want to hunt down his son?"  
  
Above the crowds babble, Dumbledore raised his voice.  
  
"It is up to Harry's godfather. Sirius, I beg you to forgive me. I should have told you, innocent or guilty. It is your decision."  
  
Sirius looked up into Dumbledore's eyes and nodded.  
  
"Harry should know. He has earned it; God knows what he has been through. We owe that to him - and to - and to James..." He broke off and looked at the floor, crying silently. Dumbledore looked around at the crowd of wizards.  
  
"And so you all know. The only conclusion I can come to, is that Voldemort wants his son back."  
  
Everyone gasped, their eyes full of horror.  
  
"But he tried to kill the boy, on more than one occasion!" said old Mungdungus Fletcher.  
  
"Has he gone mad?  
  
"Oh no, Mungdungus." said Dumbledore calmly. "Quite the opposite. Harry Potter will one day become the greatest sorcerer in the world. Lord Voldemort knows this, of course, he being the Heir of Slytherin, and Lily Potter being the anonymous Heir of Gryffindor, Harry Potter will be all- powerful. And now Voldemort realises this, and knowing that he can never compare with that, seeks his son to work with him. The two of them together could destroy the universe. But Harry will not be that foolish, I know that there is more to him than meets the eye."  
  
As everyone left the chamber, Sirius remained sitting down him face in his hands. Dumbledore walked over, a look of sympathy on his old, weary face. "I am sorry you had to find out this way, Sirius," he said quietly. "I know James appointed you Harry's godfather because he knew when the time came you would be there to look after his son. And you have you have given Harry the closest thing to a father anyone could have given him. You broke out of Azkaban to protect him, you rushed to his aid when he needed you and you have filled the gap in his life he so wanted." "It will break his heart." Sirius said, his throat tight. "The father he has always remembered has been replaced by the man he has feared all of his life, who has tried t- " "No, Sirius. He will never replace James Potter. The matter of blood is not an issue, who cared for Harry and loved him? Who took him into his arms when he was born? Who chose his name? Your best friend did Sirius. He did not leave in fear of a crushed reputation, he bore a son, and loved him." With that, Dumbledore walked to the end of the chamber and asked, "Should I send Harry down?" Sirius nodded. And Dumbledore left, leaving Sirius with his very sad and very confused thoughts  
  
The chamber door creaked open. Sirius looked up and saw Harry standing in the doorway. "Harry." He said, smiling. Harry walked in, taller than before, but still boyish. He was better built and his black hair was still as untidy as ever. He looked more handsome; age must have matured him in more ways than one. "Harry, my you've grown. Come and sit down, come on." Harry grinned, and sank into an armchair at Sirius' side. "Why d'you want to see me? Dumbledore says it's important." His face looked anxious, but the 15-year old boy looking up at Sirius was still quite young. "We've been practising Quidditch nearly every night, I've been made captain!" He was smiling up at Sirius. Sirius felt his eyes fill with tears, and he said, in a choke, without thinking, "Your father would be so proud of you Harry." Harry looked down at the floor, and suprised, he looked up and saw Sirius crying into his hands. "Sirius?" Harry said, nervously. "Sirius, what's wrong?" Harry had never seen Sirius cry before. He always seemed to bottle up his feelings, but Harry always remembered the look of sadness in his eyes whenever his father was mentioned. They had been truly the best of friends. Sirius sat there, helplessly, wondering how best to tell the boy who was as close to his son as could be, but also his best friend's son, this tragic news. He looked up into Harry's startling, green eyes. The eyes that reminded him so much of the woman he had once known once cared for, but also the woman that had betrayed so many. Lily had gone behind James' back and then fooled James into believing that Harry was his own son. How could he do it? But he had to; he had to tell Harry the truth. "Harry. This will be the biggest shock of your life. You must understand that this does not effect the person that you are. Swear to me that whatever I tell you, you must always remember WHO YOU ARE. Swear to me, Harry. Swear." harry sat stunned for a moment, and then said, "OK, but what do you want to tell me?" He was very puzzled. What was Sirius talking about? "Alright. Years ago when your...well, your parents were just married, your mother fell in love with another man, a stranger. He left her and your parents carried on as normal. Then your mother fell pregnant with - with you, and your father believed he was your father. But...but...he wasn't your father, Harry." He stopped, looking anxiously into Harry's face. Harry was staring at Sirius in horror, and then it changed to a mild anger. "Who was my father then?" He said, shaking with rage, through gritted teeth. "Your father, Harry, is...is Lord Voldemort." The name cut through the piercing silence like a dagger. Harry's face was burning with anger, but his mind was in shock. "You're lying." He said to Sirius. "Harry, you had to know, I am so s -" "YOU LIAR! YOU'RE NOT SORRY AT ALL! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? THINK I WAS TOO YOUNG? WELL I'M NOT! AND LORD VOLDEMORT IS NOT MY FATHER. "Harry, will you ju- " "I TRUSTED YOU. HE WAS YOUR BEST FRIEND, HE WA- " "I KNOW!" He shouted at Harry. Harry stopped yelling, and looked at Sirius, tears in his eyes. "I know, Harry, because every time I see you I see him. I see my best friend, and I remember all the good times we had together, and that hasn't changed." He slowed down, his voice a quiver, his eyes full of tears. "Harry, don't you see? He is alive inside you. Not by blood, Harry, not by heritage. By love. And Lord Voldemort can not give you that, but James could. He is the man inside you." Sirius pulled the stunned Harry into his arms, and held him there, letting him cry. He finally pulled away and said to Harry, "I must go now, Harry. But I recall telling you whilst escaping three years ago that you are truly your fathers son. You are, Harry Potter, you are. My very best friend once told me that it doesn't matter who we are on the outside its who we are on the inside that really counts. And with that, he swept out of the chamber. Harry's whole body felt numb, as tears fell silently down his face. All he could think about were the parents he could barely remember and a laugh...a cold, high-pitched laugh...he had never been filled with such sadness, or such terror. His mind was filling with questions, but there was no one to ask. He stared into the crackling flames in the fireplace, his eyes full of tears. "No." he said, in a hoarse whisper. "Its not true, my dad is...is James Potter." he wasn't going to believe them. He wasn't going to play their game, but there was something in the back of his head, telling him he was wrong. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching, he heard the door swing open, and Ron walked in. "Harry! I've been looking for you everywhere, guess wh -" But Harry cut across him, his voice firm. "Go away." he said. Ron looked suprised and taken aback. "But Harry! I've just f - " Harry had had enough, he wanted to be alone. He pulled out his wand and yelled, "GET OUT! AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" He pointed his wand straight at Ron, who looked stunned. "What's up, Harry?" But Harry raised his wand above his head, and Ron ran out of the room. There were tears in his eyes and he just slumped down onto the chair, sobbing. His father...his father had died trying to protect who he thought was his son...and his mother...she had betrayed them, she had lied. He felt a wave of fury swept over him, but his exhaustion had sent him off to sleep. Harry was running through a house, an old one with old-fashioned walls and furniture. He felt cold and nervous inside the large house, and wanted to find the exit, but there wasn't one. He turned a corner and saw a large, oak door. He pelted towards it, but a wave of cold swept over him, like an icy cloak. He could hear voices beyond the door, and so he crept up to it and held his ear against it. "Find the boy." one of the voices, said. "He is here, I can sense it. Do not harm him though, bring him here, bring him directly to me." Harry recognised that voice with surge of terror. Lord Voldemort was in that room, and he was asking someone to look for...for a boy. What if? What if he was the boy? Him, Harry! He was filled with horror, but whom was he speaking to? His question was answered a second later. A sucking, like a death rattle, seemed to answer in reply. Dementors. Without wasting a second, Harry sprinted towards the opposite corridor, but he tripped and crashed spread-eagled on to the floor. He could hear the scrambling of footsteps not far behind him, and he got up and limped on his now sprained ankle into a side-room. He waited. Every nerve in his body seemed to have stopped still. But his terror was confirmed when the door opened and in came a tall, greying man with a very familiar face. "Lupin?" Harry said, looking up into the face of Remus Lupin. Harry didn't understand why he was here, but it seemed slightly suspicious.  
"Why are you here? There are Dementors and Voldemort is here! Come on, we -"but Lupin raised his hand and silenced Harry. The words that he uttered next made Harry's heart stand still.  
"He is in here." He called. Whatever happened next, Harry did not know; seven Dementors swarmed in, and Harry was forced to relive his worst nightmare once more.  
  
When Harry came around, he was in a room dimly lit with candles, and there was someone looking over him, someone with dark hair. He blinked; he could see him more clearly now, a handsome man, with hair down to his shoulders, in a deep dark colour, probably in his thirties. The man, seeing that Harry was awake, spoke to him in a soft voice. "Good evening, Mr. Potter." He said, in a warm voice. "How are you feeling?" Harry tried to lift himself up, but his whole body felt like lead. "Who are you? What do you want with me?" He sounded like a criminal, but in his heart he was willing to fight. "My name is Aidan. And I want nothing but good for you, Harry Potter. After all, it was I who saved you back there." Harry's head was buzzing. Who was this man? Why did he save him? He had light blue eyes. There was something familiar about those eyes... "When you go back, Harry, speak to Dumbledore, tell him about this, escape your fate." His eyes looked anxious. "Where am I going?" Harry asked, panic in his voice. "Go! Go... But his voice was no more than an echo, as Harry wrenched open his eyes. It had been a dream. Or had it? He got up and ran all the way to Dumbledore's office, not stopping at any point along the way. He was just approaching the gargoyle when... SMASH He had slammed write into Dumbledore himself. "Professor! I'm sorry... I...the dream! I had a dream about Lupin, and - and Volde -" "Harry! Calm yourself." He looked into Harry's eyes and Harry knew. "Aidan!" He said, unable to stop. "Who?" Dumbledore said sharply. There was a strange glint in his eye, like a longing when Harry mentioned Aidan. "Aidan, Aidan saved me! Do you know him?" Dumbledore looked very sad when Harry asked him this, he bowed his head and said very quietly. "Yes, Harry. Aidan was my son." "Your son?" Harry said, confused. "Yes, Harry, my son." Dumbledore sighed and said, "He was killed by Lord Voldemort. Harry suddenly felt a rush of sadness towards Dumbledore...but...and Harry realised, the look in Aidans eyes! Dumbledore's eyes! To lose a son, his only son, to his worst enemy...poor Dumbledore. Harry climbed the steps to Gryffindor Tower, his head buzzing with the memories he would much rather just forget. His father...his mother...how she had betrayed them...the dream...Voldemort...Lupin, how Lupin had given him away...Aidan. But was Aidan dead? He had seemed so real; the whole dream had seemed so real. He climbed through the portrait hole, and saw Ron and Hermione sitting by the fire, alone. When Hermione saw him she jumped, and when she spoke, her voice was nervous, even frightened. "Harry, come and sit down." She gestured to a chair to the right of her. Harry walked over slowly and sat down. He looked up at Ron who looked shaken. "I'm sorry, Ron," He said, cautiously. "I shouldn't have shouted, it wasn't your fault..." He broke off. Ron smiled weakly, and said. "What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione was looking at Harry with deep concern. "What's happened? Is it Sirius?" Harry looked up at both of them. How could he tell them? But he did. When he got to the part of his mother's betrayal, his eyes were full of angry tears, though he finished telling them, right up until the bit where the dream ended. Hermione's face was as white as stone and her eyes were wide with shock, and horror. "Oh, Harry!" She said, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm so sorry, how could this happen?" She had taken the news very badly. Ron, however, looked angry. "Harry...God, Harry I don't know...why didn't Dumbledore tell you? Why did he lead you on? And him...who would want to kill their own son?" Harry stared into the fire. "I wish they had never told me. I wish I never knew." He said. What was the point? All of this hurt for a such a stupid thing...who needed love anyway? Harry thought to himself for a moment, and then, as if his brain had just come into focus, he realised with a shock...that that was what Voldemort would say! He was going to turn out just like him...not being able to understand love...this was what Sirius meant, "remember who you are, Harry"...he was afraid that Harry would join Voldemort. Harry did not sleep a wink that night. He did not dare to; the dream still fresh in his mind. He got up early in the morning, when the sun had only just risen, and decided to go out on his Firebolt. He quickly scribbled a note to Ron, opened up the windows, mounted his broom and shot out through it. Fresh air blushed his face, his hair whipped up behind his head, and he felt peaceful. This was where he belonged, he had left his worries and doubts in the dormitory and was a free spirit up in the air, like a bird. He glided over the lawns and the lake. Its waves were sparkling like sapphires on the surface, Harry skimmed the water and rose into the air. He dived, pelting towards the surface and pulled up, just in time for the cool water to splash his face. He then headed towards the Forest; he was just sinking lower into the treetops when a strange sight caught his eye. A man hooded and tall, was walking hastily towards a large willow tree. He looked cautiously around, the sat down. Harry decided to take a closer look, he swooped down into the growth, and landed. He quickly crept behind a thick trunk, where the man was just visible. The man reached into his robes, and pulled out a small, sparkling crystal. HE put it down beside him and lowered his hood. It was Lupin! Harry didn't understand why Lupin was there, what was he doing at Hogwarts? He watched carefully as Lupin raised the stone to his face and spoke, in a slightly hurried whisper, "Master? Are you there?" Harry watched, curiously, as Lupin stared into the crystal. Then, as if it had been splashed with paint, it turned a deep, velvety purple. Harry edged closer, wanting to hear the stones reply. Suddenly, a harsh, echoing, whisper filled Harry's ears, "Tell me, tell me. Speak of your findings." The voice seemed to be running through every vein in Harry's body, turning them ice cold. He shuddered, and returned his gaze to Lupin. He looked back into the stone, and muttered. "I can deliver him, my Lord. But he is well protected. "He quickly looked around him, nervously and said, "Dumbledore knows of your plans." Suddenly, the eerie voice echoed again. This time letting out a stream of anguish, before speaking. "The fool, he cannot stop me, find the boy. He must join me." The voice disappeared, and the crystal turned clear again. What was that voice? It had made Harry's heart stand still. Lost in his thoughts, Harry had not seen Lupin getting up. He saw and with a surge of panic, went to grab his Firebolt but tripped on a tree root. He could feel blood oozing from his knee, but it did not matter. He crawled towards his Firebolt, but...too late. Lupin had grabbed him and thrown him back against the trunk. His head seared with pain, and he felt himself falling into unconsciousness. But he did not want to become unconscious, he wanted to get away, Lupin was going to send him to the voice. That voice...so harsh and frightening, with no body...just a voice. Well, he was not going to go to him. With a lurch forward, he managed to grab the broom tail, but Lupin had raised his wand. Harry dived, missing Lupins spell, and rolled under a bush, his arms were scratched and bleeding, but he started to run, his leg feeling as if it was dead. He spun around and saw Lupin in close pursuit. He ran until he knew he was near he Forest edge, and then collapsed onto the lawn. Harry saw Lupin, approaching him cautiously. Surely he would not attack him in broad daylight, in the grounds of a school of wizardry, but he walked out to Harry and said, solemnly, "I am sorry, Harry, I can not let you tell anyone about this...about me." Harry's insides froze; did he mean what he thought he meant? "What do you mean?" Harry croaked. "Why are you doing this?" Lupins eyes, flashed, and he stared at Harry, then said, "There is no good or evil, Harry. There is only power and those too weak to seek it. Goodbye." He raised his wand. And spoke those fatal words, "Avada Kedavra!" The last thing Harry saw, was Lupin. Not the friendly, kind professor Harry had met in his third year, but an evil, menacing and desperate man, staring at him. As the rush of speeding death hit him, he absorbed the whole scene. The trees, the smells of sweet grass, the pinkie blue sky and the castle. He had always thought that Lord Voldemort would be the man who eventually killed him, but it was not. As his body lay, still and lifeless, his spirit was free. Suddenly, Harry felt himself being pulled back into his body, like invisible hands were pushing him in. He was protesting with all of his might, trying to free himself. He did not want to return to his old life, he wanted to be free. But before he knew it, he was back inside his body, and being shaken awake. He could feel hands on his face, soft hands. He tried to open his eyes, but could only manage to squint. There was a girl, standing over him, a beautiful girl. Her eyes shone into his like the breath of life. He blinked and saw her smiling at him. He smiled back. "Harry! Harry!" He could hear her calling him, but from a distance. The voice was so familiar, so wonderful. He sat up, and shook his head. The voice was clearer; he looked up and saw the girl...Cho. "Oh, Harry!" She cried, seeing him sitting up. She leant over and hugged him tight. "Cho? How did you find me?" He said. She broke away, and looked into his eyes. She leant over and kissed him. Harry had never felt anything so beautiful, so pure. She leaned back, and said, "That's how." Harry didn't know what to say. They both sat there for a while, just looking into one another's eyes, wondering what to say. Cho broke the silence, by putting her hand on Harry's shoulder, and saying, "Come on, we'd better go back to the castle." She looked around for Harry's Firebolt, and seeing it by the edge of the Forest, ran over and picked it up. She smiled at Harry and said, "Fancy giving me a ride?" Harry grinned back at her, and they mounted the broom. Cho held Harry around the waist as they soared around the castle. Cho rested her beautiful head against Harry's shoulder and closed her eyes.  
  
"This is what I dream of, Harry," she said, admirably. "Flying with you around Hogwarts. I want to be with you forever." The words made Harry's heart melt. "You will be. Forever." he said, reaching to touch her hand. But there was no hand; in fact, there was no Cho. She had completely disappeared. Suddenly, a white, pearly mist was flooding his vision. He was no longer on his broom. He was falling. Falling through the white mist that surrounded him. He could feel himself slowing down, and the mist began to clear. Then, he rose up a few feet, and flopped to the ground, still as the morning dew. His first thought was of Cho. Where was she? What had happened to her? But then he realised with a horrible jolt that Quidditch match, only three weeks ago. When he had seen her fall, fall from the sky like an angel from so high, no one could stop her. Cho was dead. She had been for so long, but why had he seen her? And he remembered Lupin. Lupin had killed him, hadn't he? Then she must have saved him. He felt his face roll over the wet, dewy grass and opened his eyes. He lent on his elbow, then slowly picked himself up. There was no Cho this time, just him. He started to walk towards the castle, not knowing whether he was dead or alive. Had he reached deaths door and seen Cho? Or was she just an illusion? And the question that Harry really wanted answered was, why wasn't he dead? Lupin had subjected him to the death curse, but somehow he had survived...again. Maybe he did have hidden powers, maybe there was something special about after all, maybe...maybe he was more powerful than Voldemort himself, or would grow to be! Harry's legs carried him up the stone steps of the Entrance Hall, and he headed towards Dumbledore's office. He had to tell Dumbledore about Lupin, about Cho, about the curse that failed to kill him once more. He reached the stone gargoyle, his vision blurry and feeling extremely nauseous. He leant against it, trying to clear his head. "B - beansprout." Harry muttered. His leg was aching worse than ever, and he could feel cold sweat on his brow. The gargoyle sprang aside, and Harry stumbled onto the moving spiral staircase. He hung on to the rail, feeling as though his stomach was in his mouth. When he got to the top, he leant forward slightly and lost his balance, he fell to his knees, retching. At that moment, a door opened to the side of him. "Harry?" said the worried voice of Albus Dumbledore. "Harry! What has happened?" He knelt down and placed his hands under Harry's arms, and lifted him to his feet. "Lupin," he said his tone insistent. "Lupin tried to kill me, I thought he did...but I survived I-I survived again." he wanted to cry. He wanted to cry out the sorrow inside him, but he felt ashamed to, not in front of Dumbledore. Why had this happened to him? He wished that this nightmare would end...he wished that he could be with Cho again, on the broom, a free spirit... "I have known for some time now, well, since the meeting that one of our friends has betrayed us. My first thought was of Arabella, but then she was old and had dedicated her life to fighting the Dark Arts. But I never thought of Lupin..." They made their way into Dumbledore's office, one step at a time. Harry sat down in the familiar chair opposite Dumbledore's desk. Harry noticed that Fawkes the phoenix was asleep, his beautiful golden plumage rising and falling gently on his breast. As Harry sat there, in the chair, he could feel Dumbledore's eyes staring at him. Harry knew that the office was silent, but in his head he could still hear the icy, bodiless voice. Who's had it been? His first thought was of Voldemort, but then he realised that not even Voldemorts was that cold. "Harry." Dumbledore's voice made him jump, as it broke the dazed silence. "Harry, you know that I must ask you what happened today." Harry nodded. He did know, but he wished so much that he didn't have to. And, so he began to tell Dumbledore everything that had happened that morning. About Lupin...the voice...Cho...and the curse. Dumbledore's face was so full of sympathy, and disbelief that Harry couldn't look at him. After a while, he had to ask, "Why is this happening to me?" His throat was beginning to tighten. But Dumbledore looked into Harry's eyes, and smiled. "That, Harry, even I can not explain. But what I do know, is that you area very special wizard. You possess all of the qualities of a fine person. Loyalties, strength, bravery, trust, determination and love. You shall, most likely, be the leader our society has needed for a long, long time. You shall be, Harry, the one to destroy evil." Harry felt numb at the words Dumbledore had just said. Would he be the one? He knew that there had been something special about him from day one, but surely...surely this was wrong. His fingers trembled, as he thought of the voice in the Forest...so cold. "I heard a voice." He said, looking up at Dumbledore, his fear was in his voice now. "A voice so cold, and so terrible that the mere thought of it makes me scared. I have never heard it before, and do not want to hear it again." He was breathing very fast, and cold sweat was making him clammy all over. He was still looking into Dumbledore's light blue eyes, and his fear seemed to reach such a height that he burst out, angrily and in a way, helplessly, "I don't want to be the one! I want to be normal, and not live my life as a nightmare anymore. I would rather live my life as a muggle, than go through this hell again!" Dumbledore was looking at him with great anticipation. He seemed to have considered what Harry had said, calmly. "That is an option." He said quietly. "What is?" Said Harry, starting to feel anxious. "To become a muggle once more. You could live a normal, happy life...not knowing anything about the magical world." Harry could feel the pressure creeping up around him. Live as a muggle? It would mean leaving everything he had learnt and believed in, behind. But he would be free of Voldemort, perhaps forever. With a pang of guilt and sadness, he realised that he would have no friends either. No Ron and Hermione, none of the Weasleys would know him. He would be a lonely boy, with a past made up for him...but with a future. "It would mean turning away everything I know?" He asked sadly, knowing what the answer would be. He felt almost empty at the thought of leaving Hogwarts, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, and Hagrid behind. And Sirius...Harry would miss him most of all. He had been the father Harry had never had, and the friend he had always needed. He could feel all of these thoughts and emotions transforming in to a barrier of defence, trying to stop him from leaving. And then, as if someone had just put him in a trance, he knew what he had to do, he knew it was right, he could feel a strong force inside him, and then a soft, gentle voice, "I will be with you forever." It was Cho's voice. The sound of her made Harry's whole body connect again, and his forgotten voice come back to his throat. "I will go to Voldemort." He said, his voice strong. "I will finish him. It is my destiny, and it can't wait any longer. I am not going to live my life in fear. I will die before I join him." Dumbledore smiled. It wasn't his usual smile; it was a deep smile, as though he was seeing someone else. "How you remind me of my son. So strong, so brave. Do not make me lose a friend as well as a son, Harry, don't you do that." He looked at the floor for a brief moment. And then looked up again, his eyes slightly watery. "I knew you would make the right decision, Harry." He said, his voice croaky. "And I know that you shall not fail. Thousands of years ago, it was written in the deeds of this school, only hidden deeds, that evil never survives the strength of good, and that not even power can not destroy the hearts of those who are hopeful." He started shifting papers on his desk, and then got up, walked over to a shelf hidden by a red velvet curtain. He walked back over with a very small, opened envelope. He sat down wearily, and stared at the envelope for a while, then he handed it over to Harry. Harry took it, his face curious. "What is it?" He said, frowning. "Open it and see." Said Dumbledore, indicating the envelope. Harry opened up the envelope, it was clearly very old, as some of the ancient parchment had been worn away, and was all dog-eared. He looked inside and pulled out the crumpled parchment from inside. It was written in a language Harry could not read, some sort of Latin. "What does it say?" He asked Dumbledore. Dumbledore propped himself up in his chair and said, "It is written in Phoenix song, a language that no man on earth can read. But, the likes of Fawkes can." He called to Fawkes, who flew down and landed on Dumbledore's leg. Dumbledore took the parchment from Harry, held it up to Fawkes, then put his wand tip onto a fresh piece of parchment. Fawkes began to sing his beautiful, un-earthly song. By the time he had finished, Dumbledore's parchment was full. He slid it towards Harry, and Fawkes flew back to his perch. Harry looked down at the parchment, and read: 'The key to finding evil, Is to look where you don't expect. The middle of the earth, The halfway line Is your clue. Below the boiling deserts, Right in the divide, Use latitude and longitude As your final guide.' Harry sat, stunned. 'Latitude and Longitude'...there was something about those words, he knew what they meant but he couldn't fit them into the riddle. Then he was hit with sudden inspiration, what if this place was in the very centre of the earth? What if it was the divide? What if it was? "The equator!" He said, as if it was the most obvious place on earth. Then his eagerness faded. "But how will I get there? No one has ever been to the equator before." His face fell, as he realised the cruel truth, but Dumbledore seemed to be smiling. "Ah," he said, in a knowing sort of fashion. "No one you know, Harry. But many a fine wizard has travelled down the equator in search of evil, it is true though, that no man has ever survived its horrors within. Equardor, Voldemorts cavern is deep in the earth's core. That is where I presume he learned all of the Dark Arts so many years ago. I do believe that you could make it there, though Harry. With a little help along the way, you could go...but I fear that the worst could happen when you are there, the very worst..." Dumbledore looked away, his eyes set back and his face paler. Harry swallowed. He couldn't think of what the worst could be, but it was definitely bad, perhaps even worse than death. "And what is that?" he asked Dumbledore, quietly, a slight tingle in his voice. Dumbledore looked out of the window, which showed a rising, golden sun, beaming through the window. He closed his eyes. "I fear that you will become his." There was a quiver in his voice Harry had never heard there before. It was as though he was stating the obvious, in a defeated tone of voice. "What do you mean?" he asked, although he knew deep down, exactly what Dumbledore meant. "How can he make me his?" Dumbledore remained silent. Harry raised his voice this time, "What will he do?" But Dumbledore seemed resigned to the worst, as he sat looking down at his desk. Was it that bad? Maybe death...but Harry was not afraid of death, he had experienced it so much, that it just seemed like second nature to him. He could only feel one emotion, ever since he had found out about his father...hatred. A hatred burning inside him, a hatred that he could not rid himself of. He had to kill Voldemort, avenge his father, end all the suffering, and be the wizard everyone wanted him to be, to be the one. As for his mother...he did not know what he thought of his mother, a part of him thought of her as a selfish slut...but then he would remember her sacrifice for him, her loving care...she was his mother. Perhaps Dumbledore thought that Harry would join Voldemort, and they would rain terror down on the whole world...the very thought of this made Harry shiver, but he would never join Voldemort, that was the one thing at the moment he was sure of, he would never embrace him as a father, never. As Dumbledore remained silent, Harry decided to tell him this. "You may not think that I will return, but I promise you," he spoke, his voice gradually growing shakier. "I will die before I join him. I will not fall at his feet, begging for mercy, I will stand tall, and die like my father; protecting what is mine. Don't patronise me with the past, only help me to look to the future...some people just cannot see what others try so hard to build...he cannot destroy my heart." With this, he stood up, and walked over to the glass cabinet where the sword of Godric Gryffindor lay. He opened it, and took out the glittering weapon. He was the son of Gryffindor, and he closed his eyes, and thought...I must go.  
*  
  
Harry traipsed through piles of smouldering rock, his brow smothered in sweat. The hot field seemed like a desert of fire, there was no point on the horizon, only a burning horizon, that looked like it would never end. His feet were half walking, half stumbling over the hard, boiling rock, on wrong step, just one wrong step, and he could fall down to the lava below. He ached all over, and he was on the brink of breaking down, and collapsing. His vision blurred and his glasses slipped to his nose, what was he going to do? A wave of sickness flew over him, but it wasn't a physical sickness, it was homesickness. He missed Ron and Hermione so much that it hurt, he wished that he could travel back home just to see them again; his enthusiasm to defeat Voldemort had long-since worn away. He had been travelling for over two months now, and all he could feel was pain, pain beyond anything he had felt before, inside and out, every part of him was crumbling away that he wished he could die, it would be merciful. He felt his eyes sting when he thought of Sirius. He really missed him, like a burning desire and the thought of never seeing him again made him feel empty. The stubbly rocks led on and on, and on until, at last, Harry saw something different, something quite unlike the smouldering atmosphere. On the floor, just ahead of his feet, there was a painting of a snake, black and blood red, its eyes gleaming like rubies. Harry knelt down and examined it. There were markings on the side that Harry could not distinguish. He leant closer. Suddenly, the snake's head sprang to life and spoke in hisses and spitting, low and harsh; but Harry could understand them...  
' Do not enter if you should falter,  
For foolish mistakes will not alter,  
Only darkness lies before,  
The entrance to Equador.'  
  
The snake fell silent and its head merged back into the picture. What had it meant? How could he find the entrance? He got up and walked around the snake, he noticed that on the very tip of its tail there was a minute crystal. He bent down and took out his wand, and then he touched the crystal with the tip. Suddenly a roar emitted all around him, jets of steam rose from the ground, a loud cracking noise was coming from the rock, he felt himself slowly sinking, sinking with the rock surrounding him in a massive circle. He stared around, panicking, what was happening? The vibrations beneath him were so immense that Harry tripped over, he lay on the ground watching as the brown rock surrounding the circle as they got deeper turned to a waterfall of boiling lava.  
For what seemed like half an hour, he silently sat on the falling rock, petrified, watching chunks of the rock being ripped of by the dashing lava. And then he started to halt. He got to his feet and edged cautiously to the edge of the rock, the lava had stopped and he peered over the edge.the sight that met his eyes made his whole body freeze to stone; below him were over a million creatures that Harry had never in his life seen, except for in his 'Magical Beasts And Where to Find Them' book. Green, scaly, deformed and deadly, they all raised their ugly heads to Harry, they were all Hagnantites, the most frightening creatures on earth. Harry could hear them all chitter below him, like they had ice on their teeth, except for it was harsh and desperate. Harry moved back to the centre of the rock, and then suddenly he felt the rock he stood on shudder, as though something had just clung onto it, then more shudders. Harry stared around frantically, as bits of the rock crumbled away. The silence screamed at his brain and made him feel drowsy, what was going to happen? His heart was beating faster than it ever had where were they? The he heard a swift sound behind him, and he span around. Facing him was an acid green, razor-toothed creature, leering at him with eye of deep amber. Harry stood, frozen to the spot, as the Hagnantite stared at him. He took out his wand, as the creature ripped a small, extremely sharp dagger out of its belt. It passed the dagger from hand to hand. He found his voice, and spoke croakily and nervously. "Stay back!" he cautioned. "Stay away!" and the creature squinted at him, its face full of malice. Then it lunged, but Harry caught it with a blast from his wand. "Stupefy!" he yelled, and the Hagnantite was thrown backwards and lay in a crumpled heap on the rock, stunned. Harry realised with a start that his hands were shaking so much, that his wand was slipping through his fingers. Harry didn't know a spell powerful enough to stop all of them, and he waited in a desperate anticipation for them all to appear. He needed a miracle, and he knew he would never get one, it was just a matter of time before he, too, would be ripped apart by the savages. And he was right. The next moment, another creature leapt up in front of him, followed by another, and another. They all stood on clawed, rotten feet, looking him up and down, their mouths spreading into terrifying grins. One of them chortled, in an evil tone, and jumped forward limply as though daring Harry to do the same.  
There was no way out. He was trapped, like so many brave wizards before him; he was to die alone in the underground furnace, defenceless and outnumbered. He had been foolish to imagine his mission to be a one-on-one battle with Voldemort, he should have known that he would have had many creatures, monsters and defences. What was the point? The effort was no use against a task that could not be completed, his journey was over, a waste of his life, but he had tried, tried and failed. He had met his death at the hands of Lord Voldemort, The Dark Lord.his father.  
The foul creature braced itself for its attack, and Harry held out his wand feeling defeated. Then, just as the creature looked as though it was about to spring, a blinding light made it halt, and fall instantly dead on the floor. Harry was blinded by screaming light, he felt his knees collapse and he fell to the floor.  
Harry sat up. Hi s forehead was laden with sweat, his stared around and right in front of him, he saw the man who had haunted him for 14 years, the man who had been hunting him ever since Harry had made him disappear into a mere spirit. Lord Voldemort stood, his red eyes alight with malice, and evil. He stepped forward.  
"Harry!" he greeted Harry as though he was an old friend visiting.  
"How nice of you to drop in! Bit unexpected though, didn't have time to prepare. Now, enlighten me, why are you here?" Harry's voice was hidden in the shadows of his head, and he couldn't seem to find it. But finally he spoke in barely a choke.  
"I want to know if you are my father." He said, trying to stand up, but collapsing to the floor. Voldemorts smile broadened into a curl.  
"You? My son? I don't think so somehow do you Harry?" Harry was staring at him.  
"You fell in love with my mother, you - you got her pregnant with me." He said, unable to stop himself.  
"No, my boy, I am not your father.but my story was rather good wasn't it? Even Dumbledore fell for it!" Voldemort was laughing in his high- pitched, cold laugh.  
"Then you, you're not -"  
"No." Harry was astounded, and extremely confused, he started to ask Voldemort why he said that he was, but he cut across him.  
"Now, Harry, " he said, silkily.  
"Let me introduce you to someone who has wanted to meet you for a very long time, someone who has lived upon the very thought of you." There was a mad glint in his eyes, as he turned to a small cave by the wall, and spoke.  
"He is here, great one." And from inside the cave, he saw a burst of flames, and the shadow of a man, tall and well-built walking towards the entrance. With a start Harry recognised the face he saw, very vividly. From a distant place.a dream, but here he was dressed in robes of black, and underneath what looked like plated silver. It was unmistakably Aidan. He stood tall, and his shining, long, dark hair lay loosely at his shoulders. He approached Harry with an air of honour, as though he was royalty. Then his deep blue eyes rested in Harry's, and he smiled.  
"Harry Potter. A boy who is famous for the scar branded on his forehead, the boy who always saves everyone and everything, but the boy who is troubled by his own identity. Correct, Harry?" Harry didn't understand. What was Aidan doing, and more to the point, talking about? Why was he here, with, with Voldemort? He gave Aidan a strange look, and then spoke to him.  
"What do you mean? Is it Aidan?" To his surprise, Aidan laughed in a harsh, powerful voice. His face had changed and now he looked menacing, he stared down at Harry in a sneer.  
"Yes, that was who I was, when we first met, Harry. The only son of Albus Dumbledore, the brave hero who had died fighting Lord Voldemort. Ha!" he gave a short laugh.  
"But little did they know that I had come here seeking my own kind, my own race. To you, Harry Potter, I was Aidan Dumbledore, but really I am the Lord that no-one knows of, my name is Equas, and you Harry, I have been seeking all my life." Harry was in complete disarray. This was too much to take in, but he wanted to know why, why had this man been searching for him his whole life?  
"Why?" he asked the man who had betrayed him. Aidan's eyes were gleaming in a crazy way.  
"Well, Harry, you see, this place is the known as The Land Of Equador, and hundreds of years ago the darkest wizard ever to exist, King Edwardi of Equador, built this place as a fortress of evil. He kept armies of millions down here, training them, preparing them for attack on the mortal world, to dominate the world. He is legend to many, but to us he is the start of our world. He was killed in the last battle of the Maradorne, which was what they called the bloody battles that took place between the mighty wars. But he left behind a son, who survived the flames of the battle, a wizard brought him from the battle field shielding him from any harm and raised him as his own son. The family progressed through generations and generations, until one man found himself with a child of power and extroadinarity, that he gave him to a witch and wizard, where they could raise him in protection and love. The man already had a son, of 18, and could not keep another child, but the son knew that this child was special, his brother was given to some fools, and he did not even get to know him. And so the son went away to seek his true nature.telling his father he was going to attempt to destroy Lord Voldemort, the fool believed him and he left. He met many a help along the way, and was finally told that he was a direct descendant of King Edwardi, but could not rule Equador, for he was not the heir.his brother was. How does my story tally, Harry? Do you understand, now? You are the heir, and Prince of Equador." "No. No! NO! You're lying! Like everyone else." Harry could not understand the absurdity of what he had just heard. Words were failing him, he felt as though he was going to pass out. But the vibrant gleam in the stranger's eyes was still as bright as ever.  
"Yes, Harry. Denial, deception.fate. It's hard to understand, isn't it? Yes, but you must realise now, that we are brothers, sons and descendants of the mighty King, we're here to rule this place and all that inhabits it. Don't be blinded by confusion, just look at what we have.what we can build!"  
"I don't want to!" Harry heard himself shouting.  
"I don't want anything to do with you! Why are you doing this? I thought you were my friend." His voice was like a plea, as though his whole life depended on his words.  
"But I am your friend, Harry, I'm your brother." He was smiling at Harry, but when he realised that Harry was not smiling back, his eyes flashed, angrily.  
"I have waited my whole life just to see you. Just to speak to you, but you just don't seem to understand, Harry. You have begun a series of new eras; you have recreated this place. You have become our Prince - "  
"How can I have recreated this place if I have never been here before? How can you worship me as a Prince when this is all distant to me?"  
"You don't need to be here physically, Harry. You have always been here in your heart, and to the creatures and men of Equador you have been the beacon of hope. The son returned at last, a new start for the people of Equador. Our King built this place from the heart of the land, from the never-ceasing furnace of black flame that is where you must go to accept your throne."  
"Dumbledore is my father?" Harry said almost in a whisper to Aidan. But this time, it was Voldemort, who spoke, in a low slow voice.  
"Yes. My little plan worked like a dream, Harry, you thought that I was your father and came to look for me. Well, it was quite convincing wasn't it? I planted the diary; bewitched the Order of the Phoenix, and set Lupin out to find you and bring you to me. Even Dumbledore believed it! But things did go slightly wrong. Lupin tried to kill you. He was very unhinged, felt angry towards you Harry. Of course, when he arrived back here, I had him killed; he had failed me. So, when I thought all was lost, I hear word that you are searching for me! You would not believe my delight. I had you right where I wanted you." When he finished he was sneering at Harry, as though he had been victorious all along. Harry had never felt so angry in all his life. He felt as though the blood inside him was boiling to steam. How could he have walked so foolishly into their trap? Why didn't Dumbledore ever tell him? He was his father, and he never even dropped a hint, and he had a brother. He had never known any of this, his whole life-story was fake, he was once the famous Harry Potter who had survived Voldemorts attack, and now he was the Prince of Equador. There was no escape.  
"Lord Voldemort has helped me to find you all my life. He has been faithful, but also unfaithful; I still remember the ultimate sacrifice he made for me, losing all his power.but revenge got the better of him, and he tried to murder you on more than one occasion, Harry. Once he had regained his power, he returned to me and begged for my forgiveness. I gave it to him, after all, he had lost all of his power for me, and he has been a good partner. Don't you see, Harry? It was all a set up. He went to your house, and killed the fools you were living with, and then he tried to steal you. Of course, Dumbledore knew that someone might try to steal Harry, and the Fidileus Charm was too strong, so instead he marked you, with a scar that meant nothing to a normal wizard, but to us it means much, much more. The lightning shaped bolt was the sign of King Edwardi; he used it to brand his only heir before he went off to battle. Where you have that scar, Harry, the son of Edwardi had it too. Our people rejoiced when they saw it, the heir had finally risen, but Voldemort knew that to make his plan work, he must sacrifice all of his body and power, and only then would people piece together a story which was totally untrue, but quite believable: Harry Potter. The boy who lived." Aidan started to laugh, a harsh cold laugh like the one he had heard in the Forest at Hogwarts. So it had been him all along. Harry stood there, numb and ice-cold even though the flames around them were ferociously hot. Then Aidan started again.  
"But now, Harry, you must understand that I do not need an extra partner in my work. There is only two people in this business, and I think you know who they are." Harry's eyes darted from Aidan to Voldemort. Voldemort was looking at Harry with the utmost repulsion, and there was a twisted smile upon his mouth. Then, Aidan turned to face Voldemort in a swish of his dark, velvet cloak. He raised his wand.  
"I am, sorry, friend. You were faithful and I thank you, but any threat to my brother, is a threat to me. Goodbye.Tom Riddle.  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he yelled and there was a blinding flash of green light and a terrible, terrible scream. Harry jammed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the horror that would lie before him. But at that moment, he heard a long, low hiss. He opened his eyes to see the body of Lord Voldemort lying crumpled on the ground, his red eyes still. It wasn't supposed to be like this, Harry thought; this is wrong. Aidan was putting his wand back into his cloak, and he turned to Harry, who was numb with ice-cold fear, even though boiling flames surrounded him.  
"Now we must go, Harry. Your people can not wait any longer, they have been doing that too long." harry stared into those gleaming eyes, and he could feel his burning into them, as his anger rose.  
"Why should I?" he said, his voice shaking. Aidan looked at him strangely.  
"What?" he said in his sharp voice  
"Why should I be this prince you're talking about? You've never done anything for me, you've never been there for me -" Aidan cut across him with a harsh laugh.  
"Never been there?" he asked Harry.  
"Never been there? I have always been there. I have always been loyal to you, as you shall NOW BE LOYAL TO ME!"  
"NEVER! I will only be loyal to one person, and his name is Albus Dumbledore!"  
"I've had enough of this! You! Your constant selfishness and your stupid views.don't you realise, Potter? This is your life now, with me. Dumbledore doesn't care about you! Why should he? He was the one who gave you up 15 years ago; he has never wanted you for a son! He had me.and he blew it, well, he was a fool anyhow." There was a bitter hatred in his voice now, and then he swiped his hand in the air, and a shining light appeared on his fingertips.  
"Come brother, the ceremony begins!" Harry felt his whole body connecting with the light and in a whirlwind of darkness, he found his feet slam into solid ground.  
He looked around; he was standing on a magnificent bridge carved out of what looked like crystal. It winked at him and sparkled in a soothing way, it wasn't until a few moments later that he noticed what was under the bridge. Flames. Enormous, dark as the night, black flames. There was certain magic surrounding them that Harry felt attracted to, he could feel his eyes surveying the licking, sea of fire in awe. He heard footsteps behind him, it was Aidan.  
"See these flames, Harry?" He asked Harry politely. Harry looked down into the darkness.  
"This whole kingdom was created by them. When King Edwardi died, they went out. For millions of years, they remained ashes, still as the air, but suddenly, miraculously, when you were born, Harry, they erupted into flame, bigger and more majestic than ever before. That was when I knew, Harry. You are the beginning, the middle and will one day be the end." Harry was thinking about this furiously. Something Aidan had just said was ringing in his ears: 'and will one day be the end'.  
"You mean, when I die this whole place will be destroyed.everything?"  
"Everything. It is written in scriptures lost that when the true heir dies the whole kingdom will be consumed by fire and then the fire will burn to ashes and leave no trace of our existence. King Edwardi did not just want anyone to rule this land, he wanted one of his own blood, who would never desert the forsaken arts, and who would never betray him."  
Harry knew what he had to do; it was the only way. He wasn't worth the destruction of millions of lives. He would rather die than join the Dark side. So he hesitated, then ran at the side of the bridge. He was standing over the edge.  
"NO! What are you doing?" Aidan was screaming at him.  
"Get away from there! Don't be a fool!" There was a slight plea in his voice. Harry turned around.  
"You said that I was the beginning the middle and the end. So let me be. It's my choice, and I would rather die than join you!" He was shouting now.  
"You have never known me, or cared about me. No one has, I'm just the stupid idiot who fell for a foolish trick!" He paused, and looked down into the flames.  
"They'll hurt you Harry! They'll rip you apart and then you'll wish you were still with me. Come on, Harry, don't be stupid!" Harry stared at Aidan. He felt tears leaking from his eyes.  
"Brother.I never had a brother, and now I have one. Please, Aidan, go back to your father, don't end up like this, don't pretend to be someone you're not-"  
  
"I am a descendant of the great King Edwardi, and you have always been one better than me. I have always been loyal, and you are NOT GOING TO MESS IT UP!" He lunged at Harry but missed and fell to the floor, he was crying. Harry touched his shoulder.  
"Goodbye." Harry turned. He braced himself and.he was still there, he couldn't do it. He was a coward. He heard Aidan laughing in his cold, harsh laugh, and straightened up. Something was jogging his memory, something warm and familiar, as though a voice was speaking in his ear. It was the voice of Sirius.  
"Remember who you are, Harry, remember." Harry felt his whole body go into a sort of seizure, but it wasn't painful, it was blissful. And then he heard for one more time, Sirius' voice:  
  
"Go." He spread his arms.  
And fell.  
  
The End 


End file.
